Sleepovers
by Elo there
Summary: Kagami didn't know whether to thank the kind women letting him inside, or to scream in frustration. AoKaga. Side MidoTaka. Rating subject to change.
1. Meeting

**Sleepovers**

A/N I feel like too much of a lurker to write nothing all of the time. This started out as a small fic but it just kept growing. I'd like to continue it if you'll all support me with it. Enjoy! And Happy New Year!

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Kagami kicked at the pebbles under his feet. He'd failed his exams. Again.

The coach had ranted and raved, even as Kiyoshi tried to calm her to some semblance of rational thought, and he'd been temporarily banned from the club until further notice. He'd stormed out of the gym in a rage, and wandered his way through the streets for over an hour.

His eyes fell on a basketball court. It didn't look anything like one of the cemented and maintained courts in and around the sports arenas, nor did it have the smooth wooden floors of a gym. It was shabby, matted with the gravel and tar surface one might find besides an elementary school oval. Even the wire fencing surrounding it was old and worn, and Kagami had to duck to avoid knocking his head against the sharp barbs that protruded from the top edge of the entrance.

He shrugged his bag to the ground, and squatted. He proceeded to unzip it and rummage through a large mass of homework, pulling out a small, worn basketball. He spun it in his hands and bounced it a few times. Jumping to his feet, he raced towards one of the two small hoops on the court, smashing it in with little effort.

His heart soared at the feeling of the ball in his hands, and he dribbled it up and down the court, performing layup after layup, jump after jump, until he fell to his knees from exhaustion.

Finally, he looked up. A horizon of deep blue and reds met his gaze. How long had he been playing, he wondered. Actually, now looking around the courts and seeing the foreign stores and houses, he wondered if he was anywhere that he knew. He swallowed the nervous lump that had formed in his throat and stood, grabbing his ball, bag and discarded jacket from the ground.

He walked down the street slowly, trying to establish some semblance of location. He tried looking through shop windows, but many were darkened, and he couldn't make out a clock or street name from the jumble of blurred kanji on the walls. Had he been smarter he might've tried to find the opening hours of a closed shop, but that was apparently beyond a panicked Kagami, and he walked on, heading into what looked to be a residential area much alike his own.

The further he headed, the fewer the signs of both life and directions, it seemed. He hadn't seen a person for several streets now, and once more he wondered how late it had gotten to be while he was playing.

He considered knocking on one of the houses on the area, but decided that wouldn't be a good idea. He knew he was no Girl Scout, and perhaps the notion of giving a large, intimidating looking teen asking for directions might be hard to grasp for many of the residents, so he decided it would be much better that he made his way on his own.

But as time passed, the ache of walking began to nag at him, reminding him of how little sleep he'd gotten the night before, head buried in a Japanese textbook trying to decipher the incorrigible phrases. The night had quickly taken hold, and the autumn months were not particularly warm in Japan. Kagami pulled his school beater more tightly around him, and continued on his way, wherever that way was headed.

The only light now came from street lamps. When they weren't within sight, he relied on the dimly lit houses to guide his way. He rounded a corner, and saw, well rather, he didn't see, for the lack of lamps lining the street. He would have simply continued on his way, had the sheer stupidity of what he was doing not taken that moment to strike him.

He was trying to find his way home in the dark. In Tokyo. In his mind, he could see Kuroko and Tatsuya frowning in disapproval. His eyes flickered to a house to his left, perhaps fifty meters from where he stood. The porch light was on, providing a steady stream of light for Kagami to make his way over without stumbling over himself more than once.

He reached the porch, and gingerly pressed the doorbell. Inside, he heard shuffling and a muffled shout. There was more shuffling, though it sounded much more like stomping than anything, and the door opened abruptly.

"What do you want? It's late-!" The horrifyingly-familiar voice broke off.

The two stared at each other.

"You!" they both gasped abruptly.

Standing on the warm doorway was none other than his arch rival, Aomine Daiki, looking not-so-intimidating in his plaid blue pyjama shorts and captioned tank top. His surprised look soon settled back into his constant snarky frown.

"What the fuck're you doing here?" he shouted.

Kagami scoffed at him. "Just going for a nightly stroll, Ahomine, what does it look like to you?"

"You little shit..." Aomine growled.

At that moment a voice rang from the kitchen. "What's all the yelling about? Who is it Daiki? Is it Momoi?"

"No one important mum!" Aomine shouted back.

Kagami snickered.

"Got a problem, Bakagami?" Aomine growled.

"Never thought I'd hear you call anyone mum is all."

Aomine narrowed his eyes, and Kagami, not being one to back down, opened his mouth to finish what he'd started, when a head poked into the hallway and a middle aged woman made her way into the entry way.

"Who's this, Daiki?" she asked again. It was the same voice from earlier. Aomine's mother, Kagami realised.

Aomine sighed irritably. "Just an idiot- ow!"

His mother smacked him upon the head sharply. "Mind your tongue." She turned to the redhead on the porch. "You are?" she smiled sweetly at him.

Blinking at the stark contrast, Kagami held out his hand. "Kagami Taiga ma'am. An... Acquaintance of your son."

She took his hand in her own, and her hand burned against his. It was then Kagami noticed how cold he felt, and couldn't suppress a shiver. Being the observant motherly figure that she was, the motherly woman frowned.

"Call me Kaya. You look rather cold. How long have you been out there? Actually, why were you outside? Our district was issued with a curfew for anyone below the age of twenty earlier this week."

"I walked here from my school, actually. I'm not too sure what the time is, so I can't tell you." Kagami rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Bakagami," Aomine rasped. "Don't you go to Seirin? As in, the school that's at least 30km from here, right across town?"

Kagami stiffened in offence. "Don't call me stupid. Where is here, anyway?"

"East Tokyo."

"Uwaaaaaah!" Kagami cried.

Aomine laughed, and Kagami shot him a glare. Kaya quickly stepped in-between the two before anything broke out.

"Come inside," she smiled. "You look frozen."

Ignoring her son's protests, she took a hold of a cold forearm and dragged Kagami inside and into the living room, calling for Daiki to shut the door. Kagami soon found himself squished into one end of a small couch, nestled in blankets to his ears. When Aomine finally wandered his way into the room, he erupted into maniacal laughter, which only served to anger the redhead. Soon Kagami was out of his blankets, hand fisted in Aomine's shirt.

Aomine had a shit eating grin stretched across his face, but before anything could happen, Kagami let out a violent sneeze and his body forcibly shivered. Aomine stared at him for a moment before shoving him back into the couch.

"Mum'd have a fit if she thought you'd caught a cold," he explained, and exited the room silently.

"Whatever," Kagami mumbled. He soon snuggled back into the blankets comfortably anyway.

Aomine's mum appeared in the room soon after that, asking if Kagami would like something to eat. As much as Kagami would have liked to decline, his stomach had stabbed him uncomfortably in reminder, and he'd asked politely if he could have a little of their leftovers. Soon he was reclined on the sofa, slurping happily from a bowl of stew.

He took the dish to the kitchen and offered to wash up, but was shoved rather forcefully out of the kitchen. 'This is a wife's job,' she had explained airily, and Kagami dared not disagree with her for fear of being removed from the warm couch where he had made himself home.

He found himself reading through his textbooks to pass the time, before Kaya again appeared in the doorway.

"Do you need to contact your parents?" She asked with a smile.

Kagami shook his head. "I live by myself," he explained.

She gasped in surprise. "You're Daiki's age aren't you? That's quite a surprise."

"Well, I'm certainly not having you walk home tonight at this hour. You can stay here. It's a Friday, anyway."

Kagami gaped. It didn't sound like he would have a choice in the matter, so he nodded resignedly.

"Good, good," she said. "You can sleep in Daiki's room, since it's far too cold out here in the living room. If that's okay with you..?"

The idea of spending a night with the Aomine Daiki didn't particularly thrill Kagami, to say the least, but he didn't want to turn down this kind woman's offer, and so he accepted. The next thing he knew, he was being herded up the stairs, and Kaya-San was knocking on Aomine's door.

The door opened.

"What is it?" Aomine asked.

Kaya-San simply lifted the large futon bundled in her hands and smiled.

"Kagami-kun will be rooming with you tonight."

Aomine's reaction was expected.

"Oh hell no!" Aomine roared.

Kagami saw the look of confusion in Kaya-san's eyes and laughed.

"Definitely, it'll be a first for the both of us, but we'll be fine right Aomine?" With that Kagami forcefully grabbed a hold of Aomine and took the large futon from Kaya-sans arms before stepping into the room, nodding respectfully and shutting the door closed behind him.

Aomine opened his mouth to roar but Kagami slapped a hand to it before a sound was made.

"Look," said Kagami. "I know this isn't how you want to spend your week night. It isn't my favourite either. But your mother has invited me into your home and I want to respect that. So whether you want to or not, you're going to play along at least for tonight."

Aomine was not one to back down, but at the mention of his mother he stopped. She would surely be angry if Aomine refused to share his home with an acquaintance of his, especially one seemingly so polite. She wouldn't let him live it down.

He sighed, and stepped away from the other teen.

"Fine," he grouched. "Just this once. And neither of us will ever speak of this, understand?"

Kagami nodded in agreement. "Where do you want me to put this?" He held up the futon in his arms.

Aomine looked around. He hadn't had a friend- anyone, he quickly corrected, sleep over in years, but he hasn't moved rooms either, so there was probably room for a futon. He'd been able to fit three in at one point, he remembered, but that was back before he'd gone through any growth spurts.

He pushed a few stray clothes off the ground and to the side, and shoved his magazines further underneath his bed, before nodding to the other boy. Apparently he was distracted though, as he was turning on the spot, staring at the array of posters framing the walls. Full breasted, cute models lay near naked on the shiny poster paper that lined every wall.

"Oi, Bakagami!" Aomine growled.

"Who's the stupid one? I never thought you'd be such a perv, Ahomime," Kagami leered.

"Just because you don't like boobs doesn't mean I can't," Aomine said.

Kagami narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're more curved than a basketball." Aomine paused to laugh at his own joke.

Kagami spluttered. "I-I am not!" he shouted uncertainly.

"You sure of that?" Aomine grinned.

Kagami froze. Back in America, he'd certainly done his fair share of messing around with both genders. He'd realised he liked guys more by the time he left, and kept quiet about it ever since returning to Japan. Being gay in Japan was quite different to being gay in America, and Kagami knew that. So he didn't know what spurred him to admit what he did next.

"No," Kagami bit frostily, "Maybe I'm not."

Aomine paused as the words registered. Kagami was... Gay? Since when? It came as a shock to Aomine, and he didn't know what to say. His mind offered a range of his most offensive insults, but he knew now was not the time to use them.

"I-I uh, didn't know," he tried lamely.

"Well yeah, I figured," Kagami replied, feeling equally as awkward.

"...what's it like? You know, liking dick." Aomine didn't know what part of him was curious about it, but he decided to wait and hear out Kagami's response.

"It's not about liking dick," Kagami grouched. "I just think that girls are too much of a hassle, you know? Always whining, never putting up a fight at the right times... Never dominant in bed." His voice was a near whisper by the end of his explanation.

"You want someone to dominate you?" Aomine wondered aloud. He didn't know why he was being so amiable. Nor did he understand how he and Kagami were talking about such a private thing so openly.

"Yeah... I guess. I'd still fight back and all, but I just don't feel like girls have any sense of possession. It's boring." Kagami shrugged.

Aomine nodded. "I get what you mean a bit. Sometimes I'll be making out with one of the sluts in my school, and all it'll take is a kiss or a grope and suddenly they can't do anything or think about the other person or anything but their pleasure, and that really gets to me sometimes."

Kagami raised an eyebrow at him. "You get mad at them for being... Selfish? Isn't that like your middle name?"

Aomine shot him a glare, but continued. "That's not what I mean. It's like, they don't have a back bone, they lose their fighting spirit and pride and anything else that holds any interest to me."

"You still like boobs though, right?" Kagami stated.

Aomine shrugged a nod, and pointed to below himself. "Depends on the girl. Maya-chan for instance. God, I love Maya-chan."

Kagami fished a magazine out from below the bed to see for himself. It was at this point he realised that he'd made himself comfortable on the ground, splayed out on the futon at some point in their conversation. Aomine too, had reclined back onto his bed, looking rather relaxed for someone who was hosting a sleepover with his basketball rival.

Brushing the realisation off, he flipped through the first pages of the magazine, and was quickly assaulted by a girl he recognised from Aomine's walls. She was thin, but amazingly endowed, with a gorgeous face and hair that looked like silk.

When he glanced up, he found Aomine staring expectantly at him.

"She's, uh, she's nice," Kagami tried.

Aomine looked like he expected more.

"Okay, she's fuckin' hot. But I'm gay, so this doesn't do a thing for me, got that Ahomine?"

To his surprise, Aomine chuckled heartily.

"I didn't expect you to pull your dick out and start drooling over her or anything, idiot. I was just showing you."

Kagami flushed a little. "Like I care," he mumbled. Getting to his feet he set to the task of moving the futon into position, making sure to keep his back to Aomine the whole time. He certainly didn't expect a hand in his rear when he bent to smooth the sheets.

"What the-!" He spun around enraged, only to find Aomine staring at him rather oddly.

"You've actually got a pretty nice ass bakagami," Aomine said blankly.

Kagami stared at the other boy, before firmly planting himself on his futon. "It's great that you think that, but I don't think I'll be letting you do that again anytime soon, so you're gonna have to stick it out with Maya-chan."

Aomine shrugged. "Suit yourself. You're just missing out. If you want me, I'm here all night." He rolled over before his swollen pride forced another insult out of his throat. He didn't know why, but he almost wanted Kagami to take up his offer, though it had been said jokingly.

Kagami frowned, and rolled over away from Aomine in thought. The first time he'd seen Aomine on the court, he'd been in genuine awe. Before the idiot had spoken a word, Kagami had felt a great deal of attraction to the other teen. Key word being before. But for some reason Aomine had been acting strangely pleasant tonight. Perhaps it had less to do with Kagami and more to do with the fact he was in his own home, but nevertheless, Kagami found that he preferred this version of Aomine, this him that wasn't quite so rude and abrasive, but was still just as passionate and strong.

His eyes dropped heavily and he bit out a loud yawn. A pillow hit him across the head.

"Oi, Bakagami. I know you think you're the shit, but I don't know anyone who can stay awake after hiking out 30km. It's not like I need you to stay up and keep me company. Fuck's sake, that sounded lame."

Kagami cackled a bit, but muttered out a thank you in the end. He lay there for a while listening to the quiet breathing and rustle of paper. He drifted off before he could catch himself. His last thought was a prayer to God that the Aho didn't decide to publicly embarrass him over night via phone. He blacked out.

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**A/N It started out as a small fic, so it's a touch rushed. I wouldn't mind going back in a separating this into two smaller chapters and filling them out a little. Opinions?**

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Thanks for reading! R&amp;R

Constructive criticism welcome!


	2. Connections

**Sleepovers**

**Chapter 2: Connections**

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He woke to a foot in his face. It took him a moment to register where he was. Then he remembered. Lost in the streets. Kind old lady. Ahomine. Ahomine's foot in his fa- wait.

"What the fuck Ahomine!" Kagami leapt to his feat, and futon was flung off him in a flourish.

He also didn't expect a hand to be clamped to his mouth.

"Keep it down you bloody idiot. My mother is asleep down the hall," Aomine hissed.

Kagami's blinked, and nodded a few times.

"Also, you both sleep and snore like a pig, Bakagami. Maybe I should call you Butagami." Aomine hesitantly released his grip on Kagami's mouth, sliding the hand down his pants. Or what should have been pants.

Perhaps Kagami had been too tired to notice yesterday, but now his eyes roamed across the bare legs of his rival. It wasn't unpleasant. He cursed the wife beater hanging from Aomine's olive shoulders.

Then he realised Aomine was staring at him. He was grinning at him, in fact.

"Like whatcha' see, Kagami?" Aomine leered.

Kagami stood like a deer in headlights, trying to form a response. He settled on turning away quickly. "I was, until you opened your damned mouth."

It was Aomine's turn to splutter. He shoved the other boy away from him and stormed to the door.

"Whatever. Just thank my mum and get out before I finish my shower. Don't even think about trying to pull this shit again with me, got it?" Aomine exited the room without waiting for an answer.

While the stay hadn't been the nightmare he had envisioned, Kagami held much the same sentiments as his rival. He gathered his bag from the floor, and headed off toward the kitchen only after ensuring the futon was neatly stripped and folded. He nearly collided was Aomine's mother, who had been heading in the opposite direction.

"Oh my, goodness! Good morning Kagami dear. Did you sleep well?"

Even after the events of the morning, Kagami tried to put on his best smile for the woman. God knows where he would've been at that moment had the woman not so graciously invited him into her home.

"Yes thank you, Kaya-san. I was hoping to head off early, to try and make it back on time."

She smiled warmly at him. "If you insist. At the very least, stay for breakfast."

He followed her into the kitchen obediently, and was soon munching down on a large bowl of rice, topped with egg. Groaning in appreciation, he then proceeded to skull two glasses of juice.

"My, you're quite the hungry boy, Kagami-kun. Nearly as bad as Daiki, I'd say." She lifted a hand to her mouth to giggle.

He grinned at her, face coated in food. "Because your cooking is so good, Kaya-san," he told her truthfully.

She sighed, almost dreamily at his earnestness, as she wiped away the remains of the meal from his cheeks. "If only my son were a little like you, dear."

Kagami scratched at the back of his neck in embarrassment. He froze. In that second he realised his rather urgent need for the toilet.

"Excuse me Kaya-san, I need to use the bathroom." He pleaded to himself that such an average Japanese home would occupy a second bathroom, but he knew his chances were not good.

She smiled at him obliviously. "It's down the hall from Daiki's bedroom, to the right."

His hope flickered out like a flame.

On his way up the stairs, he braved himself for the inevitable punch. Nearly as he reached it, the door to the bathroom swung open. And Kagami stared.

There was Aomine, dripping wet. Clad in nothing but a towel riding low on his hips. His tan skin did nothing to hide the gleaming muscles as the water dripped from them to the ground.

The moment was broken as Aomine locked eyes with him. 'What are you still doing here?' the eyes demanded, daring him to explain his appearance to the large boy.

But Kagami was Kagami. He was only centimetres off Aomine's height. Having seen Kuroko angry, no small glare of Ahomine's could frighten him. He brushed past the other boy casually. "'m not leavin' without taking a piss, ya hear me bastard."

He saw Aomine turn, even as he continued on to the bathroom. He heard, just before the door clicked shut, the small chuckle that escaped the boy. More than anything, he felt his own heart thump in his chest, as though he were in the middle of a game of basketball.

Xxx

He hadn't left the bathroom for at least five minutes. By the time he had finally crept out, Aomine was shut up in his room. He had thanked Kaya-san profusely for her hospitality before he had set off, this time equipped with a map, his own fully charged mobile, and the sunlight, and he made his way across the city with relative ease, this time catching a train between prefectures in just under an hour.

He just had time to return to his apartment and make a dive for the shower, before he was off again, sprinting toward the school. He'd missed practice, but Aida-san's beating would come about either way. He was far more worried about what Kuroko would say. Or, knowing Kuroko, what he wouldn't.

He slid the flimsy class door open, and multiple heads turned in his direction. Then they registered that it was in fact Kagami, and he was dismissed in an instant. The teacher raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Five minutes late. Not bad, he praised himself impishly.

He settled his bag underneath him as he sat. Kicking a leg up on the desk, he tried to zone into what the teacher was saying. Until he felt something was wrong. He glanced around himself for a minute, wondering what it could be. Finally his eyes landed on his friend. Staring directly at him, unblinking.

"Hiyaaaaaa!"

Xxx

The day progressed smoothly, and no one seemed to know about Kagami's strange adventure from the previous afternoon. Only Kuroko was aware of something, and his eyes had bore into Kagami throughout all of their lessons. It was only when Kagami had turned and asked why he was staring, that Kuroko had met his eyes.

'_Oh, hello there Kagami-kun,' he had acknowledged._

_Kagami growled at him. 'Look, Kuroko. Stop staring at me like that. I can feel it, and it's freaking me out. If you want to know something, just ask.'_

_Kuroko stared quietly. 'Where were you last night, Kagami-kun?'_

_Kagami blanched. How Kuroko even suspected he hadn't been at home was beyond him._

'_I was super-pissed, so I went out to get myself something from Maji-burger. I was home before dark-'_

'_You weren't, Kagami-kun.' Kuroko's eyes burned holes through him._

'_-And that's when Tatsuya called. He wanted me to visit him- something about Murasakibara-kun being away for the day,' Kagami finished in a sweat._

_Kuroko nodded his assent. 'I see.'_

Xxx

Afternoon training hadn't even officially begun, and Aida wasn't holding back on Kagami.

"What an earth were you thinking? Just because you're suspended doesn't mean you aren't on the team. Miss one more practice and I'll personally see too it you aren't back playing for much longer than a mere suspension may take," she threatened wildly.

Eventually, it was Kiyoshi's turn to intervene, as he held her back with straining arms. "Now Kagami, what you did wasn't good. You can't just skip out on us like that. Make sure you contact us next time you won't be in."

Kagami opened his mouth to inform them that his phone had been dead throughout the night, and through much of the morning, but kept his lips sealed, aided by the harsh jab to his side courtesy of Kuroko.

Sulking, he sat at the bench he'd been assigned and watched as his teammates worked through their routine drills, before ending with a practice match. His skin itched to join in, and the scuffle was enough to have him on his feet, but Kiyoshi's hand pulled him back. He too was sitting the match out.

"You'll be playing again in no time at all," he said.

Xxx

Aomine skipped practice that morning, choosing instead to spend it strewn across the school's rooftop. He stayed there for another two periods, before heading down to find some nonsensical girl that pertained to his tastes. He was done with her by period four. He climbed down for gym, if only because he felt like a long run.

The bell rung and Aomine was off again, meandering towards the school gates. He didn't make it far.

"Dai-chan!"

He didn't have time to protest before his arm was hooked by a blur of pink. He sighed. Of all the days.

"Not the time, Satsuki," he hissed.

She only laughed. "Aww, Dai-chan seems even grumpier today." Her eyes glinted dangerously. "Want to tell me why? Dai. Chan." Her voice was almost sickeningly sweet.

He cringed. "No."

She clung harder, and he felt her nails dig into his arms. He winced a little, but firmly shook his head.

Her next words were an ominous whisper. "I say the word, and your precious Maya-chan will be off the word and in the bin by the next morning."

He opened his mouth to protest, and then quickly shut it again. She would, he reminded himself. He knew only too well that she would. He let out a long, dragging sigh.

"Last night, Bakagami showed up at my doorstep for an impromptu sleepover."

She stared.

Xxx

Kuroko sat comfortably at his table, scrolling through the contacts of his phone. He took another large sip of his vanilla shake. Pressing dial, he raised the phone to his face.

"Moshi moshi~ This is Murasakibara Atsushi." The words were rich, but the voice was as bored as ever.

"Murasakibara-kun."

"Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara sounded confused.

"Is there any chance you were out of town last night?" Kuroko asked.

Murasakibara made another confused sound, bordering no irritation. "I spent the whole night in the dorms with Muro-chin."

This time Kuroko sounded pleased. "Ah, is that so? That was the only reason I called, Murasakibara-kun. Have a good evening." Without another word, Kuroko hung up.

In his dorm, Murasakibara glanced across at Himuro.

"Muro-chin~" he called.

Himuro looked up from his book. "Yes Atsushi-kun?"

"I just got a call from Kuroko. He asked if I was out of town last night. Would it have anything to do with Kagami?" Murasakibara asked.

Himuro laughed uneasily. Atsushi was smarter than he let on. He nodded to the boy- man.

"Do you want me to find out what?"

Xxx

Kagami caught the sound of his phone over the hiss of the fry pan. He made a lunge for it, and hoped he hadn't left it too late.

'_Tatsuya' _

He hit speaker. "Hello? Tatsuya?"

On the receiver, he heard Himuro laugh.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Of course not," Kagami said gruffly. "I'm making myself dinner."

Himuro didn't seem surprised. He hummed. "Atsushi-kun got a rather strange call from Kuroko-kun earlier; something about him being out yesterday afternoon. He'd spent the day with me though."

"Please tell me you didn't tell him that?" Kagami pleaded.

The silence was enough to confirm Kagami's nightmare.

"I'll never hear the end of this," he moaned.

Himuro cut to the chase. "Would you like to tell me what happened yesterday?"

Kagami sighed. "It's a long story."

"I'm quite free at the moment."

There was no arguing with Himuro.

"So I failed my exams," he heard Tatsuya's comical sigh. "-Oi!"

Himuro laughed. "Sorry, sorry. Do continue."

"So as I was saying, I failed my exams, and the coach wasn't too happy. She banned me from games until I get me academic shit together. And I was pissed. I stormed out and down the street. I don't have a clue how long I was walking for, but I found a basketball court."

"-Let me guess, you played until it got dark?" Himuro cut in again.

"Yes, but shut up Himuro. Anyway, it was dark. I didn't know the time, so I decided I could probably just try and head back the way I came. So I grabbed my bag and started walking."

"Dear God Taiga what were you thinking?" came Himuro's exasperated commentary.

"I was thinking I could make it back home!" Kagami hissed. "I kept walking, and the further I got, the less I knew. Eventually, I gave up and tried door knocking. Guess who opened the fucking door?"

"Who?" at this point, Tatsuya genuinely had no idea.

"Ahomine fucking Daiki," Kagami spat.

Silence filled the phone.

A chuckle broke the silence.

Himuro lost it.

Xxx

Kuroko sat tensely on his bed. Atsushi had been at the dorms the whole night; Kagami had been lying. What was he hiding? Kuroko was itching to know.

Beside him, his phone buzzed.

'_Momoi-san'_

She had called the other night, and usually didn't call all that often. He almost grinned. It was Aomine.

"Hello, Momoi-san?"

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**A/N This chapter became a little about catching the other characters up on the events- sorry! But for the most part, I tried to keep including Kagami.**

**Thanks for reading! R&amp;R. Constructive criticism welcome.**


	3. Thoughts

**A/N.** So the past few months have been literally the lowest point my life has yet hit. But I'm back, baby! I don't know how far I'll go with this fic, but I have a vision at least for the next chapter and possibly even the one beyond that.

* * *

At what point in his life Kagami would ever use an exponential equation, he was unsure. When in his life, Kagami would ever write a report on the biological functions of plant organisms, he was very unsure. At what date Kagami would need the kanji beyond basketball and his own name, Kagami was at a loss. And staring at the essay scrawled across his work book, boy was Kagami unsure.

He deemed it time to take a break. It had already been five minutes since the last break, after all. He deserved it. He picked up his phone, which had been strewn to the side during his 'study' effort. He tapped his phone's home button, and _6.45 pm_ blinked back at him. The green lighting alerted him to new messages, but he figured that an hour wouldn't hurt. It was time for dinner.

With the ease of a practised chef, he slipped his apron on and knotted it behind his back. Rummaging through a draw, he pulled out a large book. He hummed in thought, taking turns in flipping the pages and opening the fridge to check for ingredients. He hadn't been to the grocers this weeks, and so he opted for a simple stir fry.

Grabbing what he deemed usable from the pantry, he piled them on the bench beside him. He washed his vegetables, the wet spray splashing both his apron and the bench top. The knife thrummed as it ricocheted off the table at high speed. He set a packet of noodles in a saucepan to boil, and set up his frying pan.

The high heat was his friend, and in no time, he had the vegetables simmering on the pan. He added last night's chicken leftovers, diced to perfection, before draining the noodles, and adding them as well. The aroma of the vegetables drifted up to him, and he sighed in content. Why he couldn't have exams on cooking, he didn't understand. The made much more sense to him than the strange algebraic nonsense they force fed him in the classroom.

Finally, his concoction was ready to eat. He piled a large bowl high with half the stir fry and munched away hungrily. He hit the power button on the remote, and the TV whirred to life, updating him the latest news on three kittens rescued from a tree. He went back for a second serving, before washing up his dishes.

Lounging on the couch, he picked up his JBA catalogue, but found nothing of interest. There were only so many articles one could want to read about Akashi horse riding on the beach. He plucked his phone from his back pocket as it vibrated. He supposed he should read the messages now, even if he felt like doing anything but.

There were three new messages on Kagami's phone, all from different senders, and he had no desire to respond to any of them.

It began with a text from Kuroko. _'I didn't know you were so close with Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun.'_

Another from Himuro, still joking about the night Kagami had found himself in the presence of Aomine the Overlord, as Himuro had so named him.

Kagami had only just received the last text, and he was hesitant to open it up, for fear of what might lay inside. The message was linked to a long line of digits- an unknown number. He lay all hesitation aside as he tapped the screen's glowing icon.

_'Oi, Bakagami. I'm getting a ton of shit for your little stunt the other night. One on one, this Sunday at ten, in the park you played at on your way here. Be there.'_

The message wasn't signed, but Kagami wasn't so much of an idiot- he _wasn't_, that he couldn't guess at its origins. As if the rudely acquired nice name didn't give it away. Aomine, that asshole.

Deciding not to bestow the first two senders with replies, he saved Ahomine's number to his contacts. It was the easiest way to avoid him, should he call, he told himself. That being said, he should probably reply to his message.

A one on one, huh. He could care less about the crap Aomine was taking. It was his fault for blabbing, obviously. His fingers tapped away as he verbalised his response.  
_'It's your own fault, Ahomine._  
_You might want to give me directions this time. I wasn't really thinking when I arrived there last time.'_

That should do. He hit the send button, watching the small animations appear and disappear. He looked at his phone, a Samsung Galaxy, decked out in a rather ridiculous case; a husky pup pouting of all things, that had been gifted to him by Kuroko on his birthday.

He returned his attention to the TV. The news reporters were now at the zoo, talking about a newborn tiger cub. What he would give to see some American news for once, with real issues, not this mush.

Resting on his leg, his phone vibrated. Kagami glanced down at it quizzically. It couldn't be Aomine. Why would he reply so quickly? He picked his phone up, and flipped it over. Ahomine glared back at him. Blinking, Kagami opened the message.  
_  
'How's it my fault that you can't read a map to save your life?  
I'll just have to pick you up. Where do you live, anyway?'_

Kagami felt like laughing. This was new. The way Aomine put it made it sound as if it were... A date. Kagami shook his head. There was no way Aomine would do something like that. He couldn't help the flicker of hope he felt that maybe it was, though.

He replied:  
_'Xx Shinsaki En_  
_I guess I'll see you then Aho. I gotta go, morning practice tomorrow. G'night.'_

Yawning, he stood up, slinking to his bedroom. He barely had the energy to change. The studying was surely the cause for his tiredness. He shuffled into his pyjamas before he collapsed on his bed. In the morning, he wouldn't remember that his last conscious thoughts had been of Aomine.

**Xxx**

Aomine switched his phone shut with a sigh. He didn't know why he'd continued to message Kagami. He could hear his mum shuffling about below him, and knew he should be getting to sleep. He didn't usually attend morning practice... Or any practice. But maybe he should be sure he was in shape before he took on the idiot. He knew he'd win of course, but he'd prefer to win by the largest margin he could.

He pulled his covers over his head, still lost in thought. He glanced at his poster of Maya-chan, outline made fuzzy by the dim light spilling through the door crack. He was surprised to find that today, he simply wasn't interested. He yawned again, nuzzling his blanket.

**Xxx**

Kagami grabbed his bag, hiking it high on his shoulder. He stepped out of the apartment, locking the door behind him. Though it was the weekend, Seirin still had morning practice. In fact, they spent more time practicing on Saturday than any other day. He sighed, preparing himself for a full session of bench warming.

The train ride was uneventful, and soon, he stood in front of the Seirin High gym. The sound of rubber and squeaking shoes echoed from inside the hall. Sighing, he knocked open the door. He saw what looked to be a group drill. The second years were shooting hoops in turn, while the first years ran laps around the court.

He almost didn't see the advising teacher as he took a seat, until the old man greeted him, voice straining. He gave his greetings, before turning to the court. Coach Aida had gathered the group together now, and he could see her motioning to different sections of the court- likely assigning positions and plays. The group split into two, and Coach Aida blew loudly into her whistle as the game began.

The game was heated, but in the end, Captain Hyuuga's team took out the win _64 to 57_. The members lay on the ground gathering their strength.

On the bench, Kagami fisted the fabric of his pants. He itched to join in. He'd spent the whole game watching the players interact, and he swore he could feel the ball himself, as they passed it amongst each other. That being said, he still hadn't been able to keep track of Kuroko for the most part.

"Kagami-kun."

"Hyaaaa!" Kagami squealed- grunted. Kagami didn't squeal, of course.

Kuroko blinked back at him, sipping at his drink bottle.

"How long have you been there?!" Kagami yelled.

"Kagami-kun, how rude of you not to notice me. They subbed me off for the last quarter." Kuroko's blank stare was impenetrable.

"They... Did that, huh? Right.." Unsure of quite what to say, Kagami fell silent.

"Also, you received my text message last night, but didn't reply. You didn't want to talk to me? That hurts, Kagami-kun."

Kagami spluttered. "That's not why, and you know that! You were harassing me about... About the Aho." He tried to stop his voice from betraying him, but his voice had broken mid sentence.

Kuroko rolled his eyes. "You really are easy to read, Kagami-kun."

Kagami sighed, eye twitching irritably. "Look, just drop it will you?"

He could have sworn he saw a glint in Kuroko's eye. "Why would I drop it, Kagami-kun, when the two of you are soon to be on a date?"

If Kagami had had any strength left after being so drained from Kuroko, he would have grabbed the boy. Instead, he simply looked up at Kuroko. "Where?" he asked.

Kuroko, as always, knew what he meant. He leaned over the bench to retrieve his bag, and rummaged through it. Pulling out his phone, he entered the code, and tapped deftly. He then held it out for Kagami to see.

Momoi-san was printed at the top of the screen. Below it, a message flashed at him, sent that morning.

_'Tetsuya-kun! Guess which Aho asked Kagami-kun on a date?! He showed up to practice this morning too! (~~●￥●)~~'_

Kagami groaned audibly. To think, Ahomine was complaining that _he_ was causing trouble.

"It's not a date," he grumbled. "We've played one-on-ones before. There was that time after the winter cup.."

Kuroko only continued to stare at him, unnerving Kagami. "After invading an acquaintance's home, is it normal for that acquaintance to then request you spend more time with them?"

Kagami blanched. "Look I don't know what you mean, I-" he looked up, but Kuroko was gone.

Sighing loudly in frustration, he leaned over to grab his bag. Most of the other members had already filed out, and all the equipment was packed away. Kuroko had ruined his chance of perhaps playing after practice. Grumpily, he headed for the door, shoes scuffing on the floor as he walked.

"Kagami, don't do that," rung Aida's authoritarian-like voice. He picked up his feet, still headed for the door.

"If you can improve on next week's test, I'll let you back in practice games," Aida called.

It wasn't much, but it was more of an incentive than the red ink on a paper ever would be, and Kagami grateful grunted out thanks as the gym door swung shut behind him.

**Xxx**

Aomine paced his room, phone in hand. He'd gone to practice, and endured the endless teasing of his team-mates. He'd then proceeded to waste away the rest of the day with whatever mindless activities he could think of. He glanced at his phone._ 5.20 pm._ He was unbelievably bored.

Throwing himself down on his bed, he unlocked his phone, and began scrolling through the predetermined garbage one found on social media. By the time he pulled himself away from the screen, the clock blinked _6.40_ and he'd been directed to at least four of Kise's fan run modelling pages. And he was still bored out of his mind.

He had no homework that he'd felt like doing, and his family didn't eat dinner until eight. He tapped his phone against his wrist. Should he message someone? Satsuki would only annoy him, and he was sure Sakurai would be cooking dinner. He groaned. How could he be so needy?

Then a thought occurred. Why not message Kagami? Under the pretext of tomorrow's arrangement. A grin crept up on his lips. This was much more interesting.

He typed his message, and hit send.

**Xxx**

Kagami was balancing his pen against his finger when his phone buzzed. He jumped a little, before reaching for it and reading the message.

He rolled his eyes.

_'Oi, Bakagami. Do I need to bring money for food tomorrow? Cause I'm dead broke.'_

He was quick to type a reply.

_'No, idiot. We can catch the train back to my place after. I'll make you something then.'_ He hit send, but continued to stare at the screen.

The reply came almost as quickly as his own._ 'So, we're going from your house, to the court, back to your house?'_

Kagami frowned, it didn't sound very logical when it was put like that. He thought for a moment, before remembering the small court just a few blocks from his apartment.  
_'If you're heading to my apartment anyway, we can just go to the court near my house, and head back for lunch.'_

_'That's cool then... So.. How was practice?'_

To say Kagami hadn't been expecting that was quite an understatement. He blinked at the screen, which he noticed was now far too bright for the room. He stood up, closing the curtains and turning on the lights. Looking down at himself, he realised the time, and readied himself for bed.

Laying in bed, he switched his phone back on. Another message from Aomine, recent.  
_'Didn't know I was that much of a bother, Baka. Anyway, night.'_ Kagami could almost hear the grouch in the words, and a ball of guilt wormed its way into his stomach.

_'Sorry, I was getting ready for bed._

_Did you really miss me that much?'_

He didn't know why he typed that, or if he wanted to hear the answer. Curling in against the covers, he closed his eyes. The reply came surprisingly quickly.

_'At least tell me next time, man._

_Yeah.'_

Kagami's eyes widened impossibly. His hands shook. Inside his stomach, the worms of quilt had grown into large, restless butterflies.

His hands had a mind of their own as they replied.

_'There's a next time then?_

_You know what? Fuck it. I missed you too.'_

Face flaming, Kagami turned off his phone at the power source. He didn't know how he was going to face Aomine tomorrow. Surprisingly though, he couldn't remember feeling so happy in years. That night he slept with a smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N**

So what did you think? I don't feel like my characterisation was quite as good here, but whatever. My story my rules I guess.

Next up, Kagami and Aomine's date.

**R &amp; R!**


	4. Date

**Chapter 4**

**A/N **No research was done on the Tokyo areas before I wrote this. And I couldn't be bothered going back to look at a picture of Kagami's apartment. So…

* * *

On Sunday morning, Aomine knocked his phone and its blaring alarm to the floor.

When his eyes finally cracked open, Aomine glanced around. Light had flooded in through the gaps around the curtains, and it glinted off his scantily dressed posters brightly.

He pulled himself out of bed, and noticed his phone laying on the ground. He turned it over, and thanked the Lord there were no visible cracks. He'd already lost two phones to the death of smashing on a basketball court, after all. Hitting the home button, the phone flared to life.

_9.23 AM_

Oh no.

Aomine bolted out of bed before his mind could catch up, and didn't even register the dizzy spell from the lack of blood. He raced to the bathroom, and showered in what he believed must have been record time. Downstairs, he was grateful to find his mother in the kitchen, with breakfast set out for him.

"Thanks mum," he sighed, shovelling his breakfast down.

She giggled at him. "What's the rush?" she asked.

His reply was muffled by the cereal. "I've got a match with Kagami at the courts today," he explained.

"When?"

"Ten o'clock," he muttered.

Her laughter rung in his ears.

"I suppose you couldn't walk? Too far? I can give you a ride around, if that would help."

There were days when Aomine was truly grateful to have this woman as his mother. He stood up. "That would be great, Kaa-san. Let me get my stuff, and I'll meet you at the door?" He wasn't giving her the chance to change her mind.

He raced back upstairs, and loaded up his sports bag with a spare change of clothes, his phone and wallet. He wondered if he should pack a towel, but opted against it. Instead, he chucked in a can of deodorant, and hoped it would be enough.

Glancing in the mirror as he stepped out into the hallway, he figured that the outfit was nothing special, but would do. A hoodie over a wife beater, coupled with a pair of basketball shorts. Easiest to play basketball in, anyway.

At the door, his mother was waiting, keys in hand. She tapped her wrist impatiently. They were soon seated and buckled into the car. She hit ignition. "So where are we going?" she asked.

He'd looked up the location on Google maps the night before, and he has a pretty fair idea of the area. He glanced at his hand, where the address was scribbled onto his palm. "North Tokyo," he read. "First we need to take the _08 Highway_ off the main road."

She nodded, and began the journey. Anxiously, Aomine checked his phone repeatedly, watching as the time ticked by. Eventually, they arrived at the apartment, a modern multi-storey building. He grasped the handle of his bag, and thanked his mother again for giving him a lift.

She smiled. "Don't make a nuisance of yourself," she berated. "And try to have fun."

With that, she pulled out of the driveway, and drove away, leaving Aomine to fiddle with his bag anxiously. Again, he checked his phone and the side of the mailbox. Then he stopped and wondered why he was acting like such a pussy.

Walking up the stairs, he found Kagami's apartment, and knocked.

**Xxx**

Kagami checked his phone again. _10:16._ He wondered if Aomine had gotten lost. Not that it really mattered. Kagami didn't even care if Aomine didn't show. Really.

He was almost about to send the Aho a text, when the doorbell rang. Springing up, he strode to the door. Looking through the eyehole, he confirmed the visitor was Aomine, bag slung over his shoulder, looking far too relaxed. Kagami was a wreck, how could Aomine appear so calm.

Tugging at the hem of his shirt and running his tongue across his teeth, Kagami twisted the handle, and opened the door to greet his rival.

"You're late, Aho," he greeted.

Aomine pulled a face. "Hello to you to. 'Scuse me I slept in."

They stood awkwardly for a moment, before Aomine brushed past Kagami into the house. "We're you going to let me in, or were we just going to spend the day at the front door?"

Kagami blinked as Aomine made himself comfortable on the couch, sending pillows flying. "Oi, idiot! I just cleaned the place up and now you're making a mess!"

Aomine grinned at him. "Why'd you clean up in the first place?" He laughed. "Should'a known I'd fuck it up somehow."

Kagami gritted his teeth. "Sorry for trying to make a good impression, dumbass. I won't make the same mistake twice." With that, he stomped into the kitchen, trying to calm down.

Kagami was surprised to hear footsteps trailing after him.

"Sorry," Aomine said grudgingly. "I don't mean to be an ass. Really. I was born like it." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly as Kagami turned to face him. "I like yer apartment. It's nice."

For some reason, Kagami's heart and stomach both knotted painfully. He gasped a little, but reigned it in before it became audible. What was that? He tried to shake it off, but the fluttery feeling wouldn't go away. He looked across as Aomine, and saw genuine remorse.

Kagami smiled. Aomine's heart drummed.

"Look, Baka. It's fine. Thanks for apologising. Did you have breakfast?"

Aomine grunted, still trying to get over why his heart was beating so fast. He was a sports player, his heart was meant to beat_ less_ than the average person, for crying out loud.

Kagami didn't know when he'd learnt to speak Aomine, but he knew what the tanned boy had meant. "Up for some more, then?"

"That's just like you to offer second servings, Bakagami." That didn't stop Aomine from sitting down though.

Opening the pantry, Kagami hummed to himself a little. "What would you like?"

"What're you making?" Aomine asked.

"I was just gonna have leftovers from last night's dinner, but if we're both having something I might as well cook." He rapped his knuckles against the table in thought.

"Leftovers are fine," Aomine assured.

"Okay, then." Kagami opened the fridge and pulled out a rice salad. He pulled a frying pan out from one of the cupboards. Opening the pantry, he collected some olive oil, and a few sauces and herbs. Turning back to the stove, he heated the pan, before adding the oil and rice salad. He tossed the mixture, adding various ingredients and tasting his concoction with a fork.

After five minutes, he turned off the stove top, and piled the food into two bowls. Grabbing another fork, he sat a bowl in front of him, where he was seated at the kitchen bench.

Aomine blinked, having fallen into somewhat of a stupor after watching Kagami walk around the kitchen. He hasn't been observing the way Kagami's muscles flexed every time he turned, of course.

He took a moment to inspect the food. It looked and smelt delicious, never mind the fact that it was only leftovers. He wasn't convinced though. He'd been tricked by Satsuki too many times to believe that what looked good always tasted good.

He picked up his fork, as Kagami pulled up a seat beside him and immediately started munching away. He was about to call Kagami up on his terrible manners, but then he took a bite of the meal himself.

It was delicious. Like, more delicious than the lunches Sakurai made for him. And it was leftovers. He could taste every herb as they melted in his mouth, and it all complemented each other perfectly. He was no connoisseur, but he knew that this food was restaurant quality. He looked over at Kagami, and tried not to be dis-enamoured by the way he was stuffing his face, rice sticking to every part of him. Somehow, the sight only made his heart thump faster.

Once they were both finished, Kagami washed the plates. He was mightily surprised when Aomine stepped up beside him and grabbed a tea towel from the bench. By the time they'd packed up, the oven clock flashed _11.08_ at them. They'd been enjoying companionable silence for most of the hour, but now Aomine's voice broke through the silence.

"So... We gonna go to the courts so I can whoop you're ass, Bakagami?"

Kagami rolled his eyes. "Sure, Aho. But I'll be the one who owns, for sure!"

Their banter continued like this until they had left the apartment, bags and ball in hand.

Outside, it was a good day, for autumn. Leaves and petals were scattered across nearly every footpath, bright and colourful. Kagami took a deep breathe of the fresh air and exhaled loudly. Beside him Aomine sniggered, but internally agreed that it felt good to be out on such a nice day.

It was a short walk to the courts, and most shops were closed for lunch break, leaving the streets eerily quiet. The courts Kagami had brought Aomine to were not the most modern, merely cement slabs painted over in faded yellow lining. They weren't so deteriorated that they would make for a bad game though. Aomine new this from years of playing street basketball, and he knew Kagami did as well.

He was sure though, had it been Midorima who had accompanied Kagami this day, a game wouldn't have even been feasible at such a place.

Kagami was silent, psyching himself up for the game. He unzipped his jumper, and grabbed the ball and drink from his bag. Taking a swig of the water, he sat it down again beside the bag.

"Aho, you ready for this?" he yelled.

Aomine's response was almost as fierce. "Of course, Baka. Game on."

And so the game started, fuelled by a rivalry which knew no end. Had someone been around to witness the game, they surely would have mistaken the two for NBA players. Fired up by the heated match, Kagami jumped higher than he ever had before, and Aomine was swifter than anyone had seen him. Their bodies shone with sweat, and their eyes shone with focus. They'd hit the zone long ago.

Aomine was leading, as usual. Not by nearly as much as normal though. The scores read _108 to 115_, and Kagami was fighting tooth and nail.

They didn't know how long they would play for if they didn't have a limit, so they'd set the scoring at first to _150 points_. Both were exhausted, but fuelled by the thought of beating the other, continued to give it their all.

Somehow, by the final _10 point_ countdown, Kagami had managed to narrow the margin down to two points, standing at _140 to 142_. He knew he could win. He knew he _would_ win. Kagami raced down the middle line, ball in hand, and jumped, throwing the ball as he sailed through the air.

The swish of the hoop meant the points were tied. With a ferocious glare, Aomine picked up the pace scoring two threes in succession. Kagami wasn't far behind, making three dunks to even the score at _148._ Whoever scored next would be the winner.

It was Aomine's ball. He gripped it tightly, planning to make a break for it, and go with a fully successful two point shot. He leapt forward, tailed closely by Kagami. He jumped, soaring through the air. He pulled back as Kagami followed him up, kept rising as if he had wings. He flicked his wrist, focused on the hoop-

-and saw Kagami's face. Gleaming with perspiration, face set in a focused gaze. And yet, Aomine had never seen him look so relaxed. He looked... Radiant.

Time sped up, and Aomine flicked his wrist, but too late. Kagami's hand surged forward like a claw, and then they had landed. Aomine faltered again, too late. By the time he was running after Kagami, he heard the swish of the hoop.

Kagami won the game _150 to 148._

Kagami didn't have the strength to cheer. He collapsed near his bag, taking gasping breaths as he tried to replenish his body the oxygen it had been deprived. He had won. By some stroke of luck, Aomine had faltered. Kagami knew, had he not, the victory would not have gone to Kagami. The shot would have landed. Nevertheless, the victory was his. Focus in a game is just as essential as any other component.

There had been no time for breaking during that match. Too intense, too powerful to pull away from. Kagami looked over to where Aomine was sprawled out by his own bag, looking defeated.

Kagami shakily rose to his feet, bag in hand. He knew it was better not to sit for too long after a match, lest he want to feel the worst of it tomorrow. Walking over to Aomine, he held out a hand.

Begrudgingly, Aomine took it, and Kagami hoisted him to his feet.

"Thanks," Aomine muttered.

Kagami paid him no heed. He smiled. "Good game."

Aomine grunted, but his facade gave way as Kagami laughed. He chuckle a little. "Can't believe I got my ass handed to me by someone like you," Aomine sulked.

Kagami rolled his eyes. "What's that meant to mean? Who did you expect to beat you? Sakurai?" Aomine laughed, and Kagami wondered if he became funnier, would he see that smile more often. "Anyway, it was a really close game."

"You still won, Baka. Don't be humble about your achievements." Aomine berated him sternly.

Kagami flushed. "Whatever, Aho."

Aomine pulled his phone out of his bag. Glancing at it, he murmured, "It's _1:40._ Do you want to grab something on our way back?"

If Kagami was honest, he didn't really feel like cooking after something so draining. He nodded to Aomine. "I'm not paying for you, though. Mr. I-have-no-money," he joked.

Aomine grinned a bit. "Whatever, I'm not poor." He even stuck his tongue out.

Kagami couldn't remember feeling as light as he did at that moment.

They stopped at a small cafe, tucked away in one of the alleyways of the suburb. It had potted flowers lining the front window, and white picket fencing surrounding its small outdoor seating. Kagami wondered if they were the right kind of people to be entering this cafe.

Pushing open the door, he heard Aomine laugh at the way the bells chimed their entrance. Like the owners would be happy to see two hulking, sweaty teenage boys in their entrance way.

The woman at the store front was an elderly, black haired woman. She smiled at the two. "Hello, young gentlemen. How may I help you?"

The two boys blinked at each other, before looking up at the menu. It wasn't typical Japanese food. Kagami spotted rissoles on the menu, and licked his lips.  
Likewise, to his shock, Aomine found lobster on the menu. He'd for, out for it, even if it did hurt his wallet.

They chorused their orders, looking a little startled with their synchronisation. The small woman giggled. "You're quite a cute couple, young men. Not many people come into this cafe. Take a seat."

Spluttering, and red faced, the two explained that they were not, in fact, dating. How she'd paired the two large, testosterone driven boys together, they did not know.

The two were served their drinks, and sat in silence, sipping away. Kagami broke the silence.

"So what's Touou like?" he asked.

Aomine hummed. "Alright. They're not particularly uptight about anything. Uniforms good. Girls are good. So it's okay."

Kagami wasn't surprised by the answer. He took it as his queue to talk about Seirin. "Seirin's new, but they're always full on. Like, I didn't do well in my exam, so I'm banned from games and practice!"

Aomine let out a throaty laugh. "Just how bad were your scores? Baka."

"Not like yours would be much better!" Kagami growled.

"No... You're probably right."

Kagami blinked. Aomine was acting surprisingly docile. It was... Nice in a way. He hadn't seen this side of him before. He shook himself. Silly thoughts, he told himself. Don't fantasise.

He smiled. "Okay, Aho. Then who do you learn from so you don't fail?"

Aomine shrugged. "Most of the GoM are pretty smart. 'Cept me, they all got _As_ on the Middle school exams."

Kagami gaped. "No way! Murasakibara..?" He hadn't pegged the guy to be particularly smart.

"Scarily so," Aomine murmured.

Kagami tried to process this new information. "I did use one of Midorima's lucky pencils once."

Aomine's eyes widened. "Me too! Worked like a charm."

Kagami laughed and leaned back in his chair. "I know, right?"

The butterflies wouldn't go away, and now Kagami didn't want them too.

Aomine's phone vibrated. He pulled it out and glanced at the number. "Oh, sorry." He murmured to Kagami as he stood.

Kagami watched as Aomine walked outside, speaking in a hushed voice to the person on the other end of the line. When Aomine returned, he didn't look quite as excited.

He grabbed his bag off the table, and slung it over his shoulder. "Sorry, I've got to go. Some girl wants a date with me, and I've heard she's a good fuck. Sorry, man."

Kagami tried to tell himself that didn't hurt. It was like a little balloon a just popped. Aside from being loud, not much happened. Everyone went on with their business. And the small child was left clutching a string and trying not to cry.

Kagami shrugged and grinned. "Do what you gotta do, man."

Aomine smirked. "Oh I will." Kagami's stomach lurched again. Aomine paused by the door. "It's been pretty fun hanging like this... Maybe we should do it some other time."

It was as if Kagami had completely forgotten about the hurt he'd just felt. It was gone. He was full of hope again. He just couldn't control it.

"Yeah," he smiled. "We should. Message me, okay? Are you going to be okay getting home from here? I can walk you to the station."

Aomine shrugged. "Apparently the girl lives in this area, so I think I'll just walk. I'll need a shower when I get there though," he grimaced.

Kagami laughed again. "All right then. I'll see you round?"

Aomine gave a short wave as he turned away and started walking.

Sighing, Kagami planted himself back at the table. He sculled the rest of his drink, and pulled his bag over his shoulder. He waved at the server lady, and thanked her, before making his way out of the cafe and down the road.

* * *

**A/N **Phew! I don't know what came over me! Two chapters in two days! Am I awesome or what. Haha. I kid.  
#noedit #whatamIdoing #whatishashtag

Anyway, next chapter things take a turn for the worse.  
**  
R &amp; R**


	5. Waiting

**A/N**  
So I'm finally back again with this fic. I'm hoping to write two more chapters this break.  
I'm not really fussed with the direction of this story. I just want to see Aomine and Kagami together before the end of the year, to be totally honest.

Tell me what you guys think!

Also, I've started a new story, 'Music to Me.' It's a SasuNaru fic, if you're interested, and I'm really excited about writing it. I hope some of you guys will like it too! It's a little closer to heart; Sasuke's a pianist and Naruto's a violinist, if that's any indication.

I plan to edit this chapter along with the first chapter of that next week, once I've left them alone for a while. But I'm not gonna keep talking. Enjoy!

Xxx

After his match with Aomine, Kagami returned to work as usual. Maybe work wasn't the best term for it, because his grades were even worse now than they had been. He had no one to blame but himself; he simply didn't feel motivation to do anything at the moment.

Kuroko was the first to notice.

"Kagami-kun," he began, sipping at his vanilla drink.

The two of them were hanging out after their training session, both equally tired. Neither had been talking much.

"Yeah?" he grunted. Really, he wanted to go home and sleep, but he couldn't break tradition.

"You appear to be very tired lately. Why is that, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami flinched. Kuroko was far too perceptive. He shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know, Kuroko. Really."

Kuroko didn't seem to be satisfied, but he didn't push the topic, which Kagami was grateful for. He returned to sipping at his shake, staring out the window, while Kagami pulled out his phone and began scrolling down his messages.

His eyes caught Aomine's name, and he bit back a smile. He'd had a really good day with Aomine, and he couldn't wait to see him again. But… Aomine hadn't messaged him like he'd said. Kagami couldn't be sure whether he was busy, or he'd forgotten entirely. He ignored the sinking feeling in his gut that perhaps Aomine hadn't enjoyed the date- the game- early as much as Kagami had.

Brows furrowed in frustration, Kagami stared at his phone, finger scrolling down Aomine's messages, willing a response out of the object.

Kuroko watched him curiously from across the table. It wasn't like Kagami to overthink things. It wasn't like him to think at all.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko began again.

Kagami looked up. "Huh?" he asked blankly.

Kuroko pointed across the room to the cashier. "I think they're having a sale on Maji-burgers. Two for one."

Scuffling could be heard as Kagami quickly escaped the booth, wallet in hand. The cashier turned a frightened eye to the feral-looking boy as he walked towards them. He was eyeing the food heater like it was edible. The cashier gulped.

Kuroko took the opportunity given to grab Kagami's phone from the table. It lay unlocked from where Kagami had dropped it, forgotten in his rush for free food.

Kuroko glanced at the screen. He reread the name, going over in his head. It didn't compute. He didn't read all of their messages, not being one to pry. To pry too much, anyway. The last messages were more than enough for Kuroko to understand what had happened. Kagami and Aomine had met up. Not just for a basketball match, like he'd assumed. The two of them had spent an entire day together. Shockingly, they'd sounded on good terms.

He checked the date. The messages had been sent five days ago, on a Sunday. There were no messages after that, either. Kuroko thought of Kagami's bad mood, wondering if the date had gone badly, and that perhaps Aomine was the reason for Kagami's bad mood.

On cue, Kagami came stumbling back to the table, arms laden with burgers. Kuroko was almost impressed that Kagami hadn't dropped a single one. Then again, the boy had good balance, and he was better at anything when food was on the line.

"You were right Kuroko," Kagami said brightly. "They had a two for one sale. They even included a free drink if I wanted it, but I said no. It'd run the burgers."

Kuroko just raised an eyebrow. He watched as Kagami ravenously tore at the burgers on his tray, quelling his distaste.

"Man." Kagami breathed deeply. "I haven't felt this good in ages."

Kuroko, for the life of him, couldn't understand how _anyone _could feel better after stuffing themselves with the garbage Kagami just had, but smiled nonetheless. He was glad his friend was feeling better, even if it meant risking his vital organs in the process.

He knew though, that he shouldn't let the matter slide.

"You had a match with Aomine last weekend."

Kagami's head snapped up to look at Kuroko in bewilderment, and-ah. Guilt. He nodded woefully at Kuroko.

"I, um. I did alright. I bet him, too. Serves the bastard right," Kagami growled.

Kuroko rolled his eyes.

"But how did you find out?" he looked at Kuroko curiously.

"You shouldn't leave your phone just lying around like that, Kagami-kun. Someone might read something incriminating." Kuroko blanched.

"Kuroko!" Kagami roared.

Kuroko stared back blankly.

"You can't go through other people's phones!" Kagami raged. "It's rude." A customer adjacent to them coughed meaningfully and Kagami quietened. "It's a privacy thing."

Still staring, Kuroko shrugged. "I didn't think it would be anything bad. I wanted to know why you seemed so upset this week, Kagami."

Kagami didn't miss the omission of a tag against his name. Kuroko was serious. Kagami cleared his throat.

"It's not like that," Kagami frowned.

"He invited me out to the courts for a match. There was no turning him down either. He woke up late and rushed over, so I had to make him breakfast." Kuroko laughed silently. "We finished up at a diner. It was really cool, world-y food. Nothing you'd see at the local ramen takeout, for sure."

Kuroko frowned. "So the two of you grabbed a bite to eat? Was he rude?" he inquired.

Kagami shook his head, humming. "No… For an Aho, he was… surprisingly nice actually."

Kuroko swore Kagami's skin looked a shade darker at that moment.

"Then why the glum mood?" Kuroko pressed.

Kagami looked down at the table, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He spoke in a low tone. "It's kinda stupid… No, really stupid. It's just, Aho got a call from one of his girl-whores and ditched."

Kuroko's eyebrows raised perceptively. Kagami's eyes remained glued to the table.

"Kagami-kun…"

"Do you maybe_ like_ Aomine-kun?"

Xxx

Again, Kagami sat beside Kiyoshi, and the cold wooden bench cut into his thighs.

"Sempai," he sighed.

Kiyoshi broke his gaze from the… game, and turned his eyes to Kagami.

"Am I ever going to play?" Kagami bemoaned.

Kiyoshi laughed heartily. "Of course you will. Just up those grades a little. It won't be hard at all!"

Knowing that better grades would be impossible for him right now, Kagami sighed miserably.

Kiyoshi leaned over in his seat, besides Kagami's ear. The coach called for all of them to assemble on the line for a briefing.

"I hear Midorima has more than one lucky pencil."

Xxx

It was either this, or basketball, Kagami prepped. There was no other way. He would have to contact Midorima and somehow convince him of the benefits of lending Kagami his lucky pencil.

Unsurprisingly, Kagami did not have Midorima's phone number. He knew the horoscope-lover came from a well-off family, and he had no intention of conversing awkwardly with any businessman for his son's time. He knew he could ask Kuroko, but he'd much rather not drag the boy into yet another aspect of his turbulent life.

So it was on Monday afternoon that Kagami stood outside the gates of Shutoku high school with his basketball pawed nervously between his hands. He could see the gym. He knew where it was; it wasn't uncommon for their practices to include trips to rival schools.

Walking up to the gym, he could hear the scuffling of shoes inside, and he knew it would be the basketball club practicing. Pushing the doors open, he stepped inside, shoes scuffing along the ground nervously.

He heard a whistle blow, and watched the players gather around the bench. Apparently, he had good timing, at least. He could see Midorima on the seat, besides a gushing Takao. He didn't look to be very happy, but then Kagami reminded himself that he'd never seen Midorima look particularly happy off-court.

As he walked up, a few of the players noticed him. One particularly brash sempai- Miyabi?- shoved Midorima brashly.

"You've got a visitor," he told him.

Midorima looked up at the flaming red-head (pun intended). He raised an aristocratic eyebrow at Kagami.

"Hey! If it ain't Kagami-chan!" Takao sung loudly.

Midorima tapped his sneaker against the boards impatiently.

"Uh…" Kagami began. "I kind of need a favour, Midorima."

Midorima rolled his eyes. "You walk into our gym, in the middle of practice, with no prior warning, to ask a favour?" His gaze cut into Kagami searchingly.

Beside Midorima, Takao laughed brightly. "He's just shy, Kagami-chaaan. Really, Shin-chan. What did you need?"

Feeling a little more assured by Takao, Kagami tried again. "I'm having some… trouble in my classes." He ignored Midorima's scoff. "I was hoping you might be able to lend me one of your lucky pencils…"

Kagami kept his eyes trained at his feet. Takao pulled his arm around Midorima's neck, simulating a huddle as they whispered.

Midorima shook his head firmly at the look in Takao's eye. "No."

Takao laughed. "Why not, Shin-Chan. He's come all this way for your help."

"I don't have any obligation to help idiots," Midorima ground out scathingly.

Takao sighed. "Fine, don't do it out of the goodness of your heart, Shin-Chan. Not like I was expecting you to say yes anyway. But you know, I really thought the opportunity to have someone in your debt might have appealed to you… Oh well, too late now, I suppose…"

Midorima looked up at Takao, and he smiled encouragingly at Midorima.

"I only have to give him the damn pencil, right?"

Takao nodded.

"And I can ask him for anything in exchange?"

Again, Takao nodded.

Sighing deeply, Midorima stood up to fetch his bag. Takao grinned ferally. How he loved playing with Shin-Chan.

Standing up, Takao walked to Kagami, who was looking determinedly at his shoes.

"Kagami-Chan," Takao called.

Kagami looked up at him.

"Midorima said he'd give you the pencil in exchange for an IOU, but I think we can do a bit better than that, right, Kagami-Chan?" Takao leaned up to whisper conspiratorially in a confused Kagami's ear.

When Midorima returned, clutching a pencil in his right hand, Takao smiled broadly.

"Shin-Chan." He smiled. "I was just talking to Kagami and we think we can make this an even better deal for you…"

Midorima grimaced.

"In exchange for Kagami's utmost secrecy with our little… issue," he looked at Midorima meaningfully, "I promised Kagami that you would tutor him personally through anything he might be having trouble with."

"Absolutely not," Midorima snapped.

Takao laughed. "Of course, I'll be there the whole time, as well. Twice a week, at Maji Burger."

Midorima narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"Pleeeeaaase, Shin-Chan?" Takao begged.

Kagami looked between the two in bewilderment.

Midorima sighed deeply. "Fine. Twice a week, no more than an hour and a half at a time." He locked eyes with Takao. "And… You'll be there every week?"

Here, Takao smiled softly. "Every week," he agreed.

Midorima nodded resignedly and handed the pencil to Kagami quickly. "We will meet on Thursdays and Saturdays at six. Do not be late," he warned. He glanced back to his teammates, who had already returned to the court. "It's time we returned to the game." He turned to walk away.

"Uh," Kagami called out. "Thanks, Midorima… I mean, it'll be a really big help… thanks."

Takao smiled at him, and Midorima paused.

"Whatever. They'd better not have counted this as one of my three acts today." He continued to mumble to himself as he walked away.

"He's embarrassed," he explained helpfully.

He walked with Kagami to the door of the gym. "Right then, we'll see you Thursday, Kagami-Chan!"

Kagami suddenly remember something.

"Uh, hey. What was the thing you and Midorima needed help with, though?"

Takao just winked at him.

"You'll have to wait and see."

Xxx

Even though Kagami wasn't allowed to join practice, he was still expected to attend. So he realised he needed some sort of cover. Someone who no one would be able to contact for confirmation. So, when he said Alex had decided to visit that week and he needed to clean up, he hadn't been lying. They didn't need to know he'd invited her, either.

They'd agreed to let him have the day off, provided he was back the following day. He would be sure that he was. He certainly didn't want to face Rida's rage if she learnt that he'd skipped practice two days in a row. He felt queasy at the thought.

He checked his phone, which was disappointingly blank. It had been over a week since he'd seen Aomine, and still the boy hadn't sent him a message. For the umpteenth time, he wondered if maybe he'd misheard Aomine. Maybe Aomine had wanted Kagami to send a message first? Maybe he hadn't said he would at all, and Kagami had just dreamed it up.

Finally, he decided he needed to grow some balls. So what if Aomine hadn't messaged him. That didn't mean Kagami couldn't send a message to Aomine.

He opened his messenger app and typed out a greeting. His finger hover over the send button for a moment, almost chickening out. Finally, he pulled a brave face, and hit send.

He didn't have to wait long at all for a response.

'_Hey'_ the message read.

Kagami pouted a little. That was it? He hadn't spoken for Kagami for over a week, and all Kagami got was a '_hey'_?

Growling, Kagami punched in a response.

'_Been awhile, Aho.'_

Again, Aomine's response was quick.

_'__Sorry'_

Kagami nearly threw his phone in frustration. Sorry for what? It was obvious to him that Aomine wasn't particularly interested in talking to him. Setting his phone down on his table, Kagami sighed deeply.

He turned the television out, trying to drown out his painful feelings of rejection. So what Aomine didn't want to talk to him? Since when had his opinion mattered, anyway? He knew he was being ridiculous, but couldn't help what he felt. He'd really hoped that Aomine had been interested in being friends with him, but it seems that this wasn't the case.

Sighing, he glanced back at his phone again.

The phone was bright with a new message. Hopeful, he picked up his phone. Sure enough, it was a message from Aomine.

'_Im an idiot. Im really sorry I ditched you last week, and that I havent messaged you earlier. Its just that every time I went to write a message, it looked wrong. I didn't no how to sat it. Sorry. Can we start over?'_

The first thing Kagami felt was a rush of relief. Then, so strong he had to lean back, was the happiness. It flooded through him so strongly. It was so addictive _(he was so addicted to Aomine already). _He rested his head against the couch padding and sighed dreamily. Then he realised he should reply.

_'__Whatever, Baka. Its fine. But dont ignore me again, got it?'_

Almost instantly, his phone vibrated.

When he was asked years later, Kagami would argue that he had in fact not liked Aomine at first; he'd hated his guts, he would say.

The smile on his face said otherwise.

('Because of Aomine,' it said)

_7:51 PM  
Aomine  
'Fight me. (-0_-_0)-  
Thanks for being such a good friend.'_

Xxx

**A/N**

WOW! I've finally reached my quote for the day (2500 words). Truthfully I started writing this yesterday, but I couldn't keep my eyes open after 900 words, haha.  
I think because I keep writing after breaks, my writing style is changing a little each time. I hope no one minds. I'm hoping I'll be able to look back in a year and understand the progression of my writing!

What do you guys think? Also, how soon should I aim for AoKaga to get together? You guys tell me, I'm all ears.

**Read and Review!**


	6. Falling

**A/N**

Hey again guys!  
Didn't have too much inspiration for this chapter, so it's a little all over the place. I'll be leading it on next chapter anyway, so no worries. Pretty happy with some parts, though, for sure!

Also, guess what? Today's editing day! Well, later today anyway. I'll be reading through all the work I've published and making changes and edits as I see fit. I've already seen a few obvious errors through the last chapter of Sleepovers, haha.

Edit: So in fact, I wrote this two months ago! I didn't realise I hadn't published it, haha. Also didn't edit the other chapters yet. Erm… Yeah. I'm procrastinating over a 2000 word history essay at the moment, if you guys can relate.

Well, hope you enjoy!

Xxx

Kagami's phone vibrated against the tabletop noisily. He glanced up from between piles of paper, the work sent to him by Midorima even before their first lesson. He'd first received a text from Takao, containing contact details of the two boys, heaven knows where Takao had gotten his number from.

The work was hard, impossibly so. That being said, Kagami did remember a lot of it appearing in picture form on the blackboard, minutes before he dozed through another day's lessons. He dreaded to know what was in store for him, if this work was any indication. Midorima was quite the hard task master, though he supposed he shouldn't have expected anything less.

He was very glad Aomine had taken his time in replying to his last message. It gave Kagami the excuse he needed to lay rest to the scrawling numbers on the books in front of him, and his blank sheet of answer paper. He picked up his phone.

_Aomine  
'Youre getting help from Midorima? Its that bad?'_

Kagami rolled his eyes in annoyance. He'd waited for three hours for such a lousy message. Not to mention, he knew Aomine wasn't much better off than himself. It was just that Aomine's team _didn't care. _

His response was biting.

'_Right, like you're one to talk. You'd probably learn something from having _me _tutor you.'_

The response was instantaneous.

_Aomine  
'Yeah I definitely would. You know, if I ever need someone to teach me how to be a pansy, ill give you a buzz.'_

Kagami seethed. What the hell did that asshole know about him, anyway? Deciding he didn't want to bother with assholes who couldn't even make good insults, he set his phone to mute and locked it, placing it on the counter as he passed.

Kagami tried to resettle himself amongst his books, but soon found he was too fidgety to accomplish anything. He looked across the room to his basketball, which was mounted proudly on the shelving. The books in front of him seemed to laugh.

Growling loudly, he pulled stood up, knocking a few of the books to the ground. He pulled his jacket from the couch and slipped it on, and grabbed his basketball from the shelf. Stuff Aomine, and stuff his stupid homework. He was going to go and do something he enjoyed.

The scuff of his shoes on the gravel court was impossibly calming, and Kagami ran backwards and forwards, not even bothering to stretch in his haste. It was refreshing, after watching the game plays on court for so long, unable to participate.

His breath came out in short puffs, and he could feel sweat forming in beads on his neck. Yet, he hadn't felt as good as he did in the moment in such a long time that he thought his face might split from smiling.

He didn't stop until he couldn't see the hoop anymore. The area was only dimly light by the street lights, which turned on soon after dusk. He knew it was time he returned home, but he didn't feel like moving from the courts. His body was tired and aching, and his head throbbed.

His heart. That ached more.

It had felt so good to forget all his troubles, to wash them away with joy. Joy was a memorable emotion. It imprinted itself in memories, in personalities. He felt joy playing basketball, and he remembered his childhood, laughing with his father on the streets of America.

Just the same, he felt joy when he was with Aomine.

It came like a rush. He hadn't truly thought about it before. Heck, he'd barely ever talked to the other boy before. They'd only ever interacted with each other at basketball matches, seen each other beside Tetsu.

He'd never wanted to make anyone smile before.

He'd never wanted someone to tell him they wanted to see him.

He'd never missed someone so deeply, without reason.

He'd never been in love before.

He reclined against the gravel surface. His skin prickled with the chill of the air.

He laughed at the irony. How could he? How could he have fallen in love with the straightest boy he'd ever met? He should have met a girl from his school, flirted for a few months before asking her out. He should have married her, had kids.

Why wasn't he normal like everyone else?

He blinked slowly. His eyelids suddenly felt so heavy. He struggled to stay awake, as his mind continued to impound on him long lists of his wrong-doings, his falsities and his abnormalities.

He couldn't keep it up. His eyes slid shut.

He saw blue.

Xxx

Kagami woke up aching like he never had before. Or maybe that's what he would have been doing, if he could feel any part of his body.

He tried to open his eyes, but they were frozen closed. It took the touch of a numb, ice-cold hand to bring light to his eyes.

He felt damp all over, and his soaked clothes, as well as the gravel beside him, showed signs of rain. How had he slept through that? He stumbled to his feet, and his body slowly began to work again. His body also took that moment to realise it was very, very cold. His body, twitch by twitch, began to shiver uncontrollably, its last mode of defence against the biting chill.

He knew his house wasn't far away, and he stumbled shakily down the street, as the lamps provided him dim lighting. Just barely, he was able to avoid most of the ditches, tripping only once every few metres, which he thought was quite amazing.

He recognised his apartment, even in the dim lighting, and tried the door.

Locked.

He cursed. He fumbled his hands through his saturated pockets, procuring a dulled key. He tried to grip it between two fingers, but he had no control. It took his other hand, and several minutes of effort for his fingers to wrap around the key long enough for him to locate the lock.

He thanked his cheap landlord that the lock was far from secure, and opened with only a light twist. Had it been any tougher, he knew there would have been no possibility of him entering the house.

He hit the light switch as he entered, not locking the door behind himself. His hands fumbled with the heater, turning it on as well. He stumbled up the stairs to his bedroom, and he pulled the blankets around his body.

Apparently content with the safer environment, his body gave out again.

He woke to the sun high in the sky, as his body let out a dozen dry coughs. He stumbled to his feet in search of water, and was assaulted with a wave of nausea. He leaned against the wall to stay upright as bile pushed its way up his throat. Swallowing it back, he staggered his way out to the kitchen.

Without the strength to do more than barely minimal, he pulled an old glass from the sink across to the water's path, and turned on the tap. Not turning it off, he shakily lifted the glass, but it slipped from his fingers and clattered back to the steel surface.

He gave up, cupping mouthfuls of water with his hands, sipping at them thirstily. His mouth was so dry he couldn't swallow at first, and only after a few coaxing sips was he able to gulp down the water his throat was begging for.

He stumbled back through the house, and crashed against the bed. He felt too sick to move again, and lay against the bed until sleep took over again.

Between hours of restless sleep, Kagami meandered to the toilet and back several times, and finally felt well enough to escape to the kitchen cupboard to aid his body with Neurofen and several other fever-fighting drugs and vitamins. He moved most of them to his bedroom, taking with him a large drink bottle and his phone on passing.

In his bed, he switched his phone on, and several messages from his friends blared back at him. He read through them tiredly, too drained to respond to most. He sent Kuroko a message that he was unwell, and wouldn't be able to make it to practice, hoping the boy would pass it on.

Scrolling down, he noticed a message in the list from Alex. Suddenly he remember that Alex was arriving that afternoon.

Cursing, he fumbled with his phone, checking the time. He still had time, she would be on the plane though, so he wouldn't be able to contact her until she got off the plane. He texted her a short message, asking her if it would be possible for her to arrange a ride through to his apartment by herself, and if she could call once she arrived at the airport.

He was again hit with a wave of nausea after spending so long staring at the white-lit screen. Sitting it beside him, he closed his eyes again.

Xxx

When Kagami next woke, it was to a cool rag being pressed to his forehead.

He cracked his eyes open. A flash of blonde hair again reminded him of his predicament.

Deliriously, he reached for his phone, but fumbled, knocking it down to the floor. Struggling to sit up, he tried again to reach for the phone. He thought he could hear a voice.

"…-kun."

"…Kagami-kun."

"Kagami-kun."

His head snapped up abruptly. Standing in front of him was Alex, her arms crossed over her chest, frown marring her expression.

"Alex?" he asked drowsily. "I thought you were at the airport…"

Alex sighed, pushing him back into bed and draping the covers across him.

"You told me to call you, but didn't pick up. I thought something might've happened, so I came home and found my little Taiga out like a light on his bed, with a fever of 40 degrees no less!"

Kagami groaned, tossing himself over in his bed. He mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that?" she asked cheekily.

He mumbled again.

"Huuuuh?"

Kagami frowned. Turning over again, he leaned towards her.

"Don' call me li'l."

Alex had to stifle the fit of laughter until she'd left the bedroom.

Xxx

Through the haze of waking in pain and fever, Kagami didn't remember much of the night. Only when the fever had broken did he wake up in the morning, wet cloth laid beside his head, did his brain begin its work again.

The first thing he realised was that Alex had taken care of him for an entire day. He felt the urge to get up to find her, but soon realised he was still in no shape to get up from his bed. Another day off school then. Not like he could complain. He was so far behind in his study, it probably wouldn't matter whether or not he actually attended classes.

The wakeup call was sufficient enough to sober him, as well as remind him of the meeting he'd arranged with Midorima and Takao. He might have missed it. What day was it on again? His mind was too foggy to keep a straight track of thought.

He lay in dazed thought for an indefinite amount of time, before Alex walked into the room.

"You're awake! Feeling better now, Taiga?" she asked.

He nodded sluggishly. He lifted a hand to his head. "Better, I think. I still can't think well though…" he mused.

Alex smiled at him. "Of course. Can you read?"

Kagami stared at her in confusion.

She pointed to his phone. "That thing's been buzzing all day. You might wanna see what the fuss is about."

Realising it could well be from Midorima or Takao, Kagami picked up the phone sitting by his bedside.

The lock screen flashed several missed calls and messages at him, and Kagami gulped. Most were from Kuroko, along with a few concerned texts from his sempai. Smiling, he delivered his slow recovery to them. It took quite a bit of focus to send the texts, and he lay his phone beside him to recuperate after sending them.

Only when he was feeling less nauseous, Kagami picked up his phone again. At the bottom was Alex's worried messages. He felt a guilty that he hadn't been able to respond.

He knew he would have to schedule a raincheck with Midorima. Thankfully, school hadn't let out yet so there would be time for Midorima to receive the message.

Changing his mind, he decided it might be a better idea to send the text to Takao, who seemed much more likely to pick up his phone during a lesson. He added an apology to the text, and hit send.

The response was almost suspiciously fast.

_From Takao  
You're sick Kagami-chan? –-(O.O)—  
That's terrible! I'll tell Shin-chan right away. Get better soon._

_Saturday's still okay, right?_

Kagami figured he would be fine by Saturday, and responded in kind.

Fatigued, Kagami continued to scroll up the list of messages. He'd responded to all of the messages from his concerned sempai first, so he thought he'd finished up.

There at the top of the stack, somehow missed, was a bold impression of Aomine's name.

Kagami's throat suddenly felt dry from something other than his cold.

Opening the chat, he saw several unread messages from Aomine. He started at the top, his stomach lurching as he read Aomine's last read comment, the very thing that had sent Kagami spiralling into the depths of a cold.

Only half an hour later, Aomine had sent another text.

_From Ahomine  
Sorry for being a dick. I was just joking…_

Hours later, another.

_From Ahomine  
You there? Thought guys like you were up for this sorta thing_

The messages continued on, from taunting and annoyed, to increasingly worried. Aomine's last message had been sent only an hour ago, at lunch.

_From Ahomine  
Are you okay? Don't die on me.._

Kagami felt another bout of fever coming on. What was with the Aho? How could he make Kagami forget himself, time and time again? It was infuriating.

He wondered how many girls Aomine had managed to woo the same way. It couldn't be hard for him. Just send a lazy smirk in their direction, and they'd be on his lap before the day was up. Kagami knew. He'd seen the boy in action before, at matches.

The memory only stirred Kagami's churning stomach, as he was again reminded of just how straight Aomine was. Of how Kagami had in fact fallen for one of the straightest bachelors on the market.

Yet every time Kagami glanced at the Aomine's messages, filled with worry and concern for Kagami, his heart pounded loudly in his chest.

As much as he'd like to simply block Aomine's number and be done with it, Kagami was stopped by the uncontrollable fluttering of his stomach.

His response was short, but it spoke volumes to Aomine.

_From Kagami  
I'm fine, idiot. I caught a cold that night… call me a pansy all you like. You'll be the one who ends up with their ass handed to them on a silver platter._

_Thanks for worryin'._

Sometimes, Kagami wondered if Aomine ever left his phone's side. His response took only seconds.

_From Aomine  
You'd be the kind of person to catch a cold so bad you can't even pick up your phone._

Kagami rolled his eyes. He was certain of it now. Aomine certainly had some hook-ups about his phone, that was for sure.

_From Kagami  
Like you'd know. And this cold is pretty damn bad. You'd better count yourself lucky im here messaging u at all._

_Im going back to sleep now, so don't wait up baka._

_Seriously though, thanks._

Tiredly, Kagami locked his phone and collapsed back against his pillows. Aomine was a handful.

Closing his eyes, Kagami tried to fall back to sleep. He needed sleep, if he was meant to be recovered enough for a studying session in two days' time. Maybe, if he was recovered, he'd be able to play basketball with Aomine on Sunday.

Such were Kagami's last thoughts as he fell asleep once again.

**A/N**

This was all over the place! Like, wow, what did I write? Anyway, next chapter Kagami will meet up with Midorima and Takao, and maybe I'll begin his date with Aomine. Who knows!

Make sure to leave a review!


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